"I've learned
that I can do anything I set out to do," Marianne says. "I'm sure
that if I really put my head and heart into it, I can accomplish
anything that my male counterparts do with the same amount of time
and experience."

"I try to be an exemplary employee," she adds, "I want to make a
difference for the next woman that is sent on the job site to this
employer."

"I love the look of young and old when they see a girl operating
that big piece of equipment!" Marianne says.

Getting Started: Married at 17, and divorced shortly
thereafter, Marianne had worked in real estate, retail, dog
grooming, flea markets, clock manufacturing and banking, among other
things, before she discovered construction. "I became interested in
the field one summer after I'd done a short stint as a telephone
line installer in Manhattan, and was waiting to start another job
that fall," Marianne says. She was offered a job as a traffic
controller (flag person), and says she wasn't interested until she
learned the pay would be $11.20 an hour. "I told him I wasn't
trained," she says, "but he assured me that wasn't a problem, that
they could train me. So I started the very next day."

A few weeks later, Marianne was flagging for the operator of
a 'Vermeer Rock Saw', and when she learned what the position paid,
asked if she could train to use the machine. The foreman asked if
she were afraid of using the saw. " Maybe a little," she replied,
"but I'm not scared of that check!" Marianne spent two months
training with the operator, and was offered a full-time job.

Education:Marianne graduated at the age of 16 from
her high school in Yonkers, NY. "I was already engaged and had
jumped into 12th grade early, so that I could marry my future
husband that fall," she explains. "Needless to say the marriage
didn't work out, so at 23 years of age I was left with no secondary
education other than real estate school and dog grooming training."
Looking for a skilled trade with greater earning power, she took a
job flagging traffic on a construction site. Marianne
received on-the-job training to operate machinery with the help of
her senior crewmembers, and before long became an operator in her
own right.

"My union also has a training school in Westerlo, New York," she
says, and over the years this helped her earn additional
certifications. Through the union school, Marianne received
her New York State Crane License, hazardous waste removal
certification, asbestos removal handler certification, forklift
training and OSHA certification.

Greatest Professional Achievement:Marianne says the
reputation she's earned among her peers "for being an excellent
operator" is her proudest achievement. Years ago she took a chance
in a field where few women had ventured. These days, Marianne
says, when the Union is staffing a job site, "I am requested by name
from the hall, because of my work ethic and talent."

Barriers: Back in 1984 when she first appeared on job sites,
Marianne admits, "there were a lot of rolling eyes, and the
attitude that I was the token female, almost like they were 'stuck'
with me." She received many negative comments, and says she was
reluctant each time she started a new job, "because I had to prove
all over again to a new group of male peers that I was capable, that
I was proficient and hard working and willing to get my hands
dirty," she says.

It took a lot of hard work, but these days Marianne says her
reception is dramatically different. "Now when I show up on a job
site," she says, "my reputation precedes me, and I am welcomed." At
Union meetings, she says, "I am acknowledged with a warm smile and a
sincere handshake."

Working with Men: Even today, Marianne estimates that
99% of her co-workers are men. While the atmosphere on site has
changed in many ways, her advice is to maintain a distinction
between your personal and professional life. "Keep private matters
private," she says. "It's important to act appropriately at all
times."

Still she urges women not to be intimidated. "Don't be shy but don't
be bossy," Marianne says. "Listen to advice from anyone who
is willing to share, and never act as if you don't need it," she
says. Her own experience shows that with a positive, professional
approach, you can learn from more experienced co-workers, and
develop valuable working relationships regardless of gender.

Advice for Women: "Don't expect it to be easy," Marianne
says. "It's a tough job, both physically and mentally - but if you
respect yourself and act professionally on the job, you will be
treated that way." She stresses that "you don't have to be a
weight-lifter, but it helps to be physically fit and to have some
mechanical ability." Hand-eye coordination is more important than
strength, she says, and "safety is a must."

"Don't be afraid state your opinions or suggest alternatives if you
see a more safe or proficient way to accomplish a goal," Marianne
says.

Typical Workday/Environment: "The job is exciting," Marianne says, "and usually noisy. There are unexpected changes
all the time, so I never get bored." Because she's outdoors, she is
always prepared for varying weather conditions.

Energy and adaptability are two of the major requirements in
Marianne's field. "Sometimes you're given a new piece of
equipment that you have no experience on, so you have to adapt
readily," she says. In addition to operating and maintaining heavy
equipment, she needs to know how to signal, follow safety
precautions, and execute specific procedures depending on her
assigned task each day. A blacktop-rolling job, for example,
involves the vibratory compaction and smoothing of the final coat of
blacktop that goes on to a roadway. Due to traffic requirements,
some of these jobs would take place at night.

"I arrive at 7pm," she says, "and get my safety equipment - jacket,
hardhat, ear protection - before I approach my machine. I perform a
quick walk around, oil and fluid check before starting. I'll ask for
fuel if needed, pull up to the fuel truck and then the water truck
to fill both the back and front reservoirs. Then I then wait for the
rest of the paving crew to get a signal from the foreperson, to
follow them out to the job site." During the night, other
crewmembers will be performing compaction testing, so Marianne
might be asked to change the rolling patterns or vibratory modes of
her machine. "Then I'm expected to finish rolling the area and
release it for traffic," she says.

"I love the compliments I get on my work and feel great when the
State inspector says that I did an awesome job, or that I'm one of
the best operators they've worked with," Marianne says.

"I like the ability to be able to run out of the house with no
makeup and my hair wet and know that as long as I show up and do my
job it doesn't matter what I look like," she says. "I also find new
locations interesting, and I get to meet new people all the time."

Career Ladder: Depending on region and your years of
experience, salaries for operating construction equipment can range
from $15 an hour to more than $50 an hour. In Marianne's
case, she receives additional benefits from her employer, over and
above her hourly wage, which includes prescription and health
benefits, eyeglass coverage, a central and a local pension fund, a
savings fund and dental benefits.

While operators advance in salary and rank through the years, she
says they generally tend to stay within their positions. To advance
to the level of foreperson or supervisor, she recommends getting
involved in the Laborers Union, which is the more common route to
management.

Professional Associations:Marianne is a member of the
International Union of Operating Engineers.

Hobbies: Even when she's not on the job, Marianne like
being outside. "I love hiking," she says, "and playing with my four
dogs." She also enjoys photography and web page designing.